normlessness
|norm-less-ness|
🇺🇸
/ˈnɔrmˌlɛsnəs/
🇬🇧
/ˈnɔːm.ləs.nəs/
absence of norms
Etymology
'normlessness' originates from Modern English, formed by attaching the suffix '-less' to 'norm' and then the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. The element 'norm' itself comes from Latin 'norma' meaning 'a carpenter's square' or 'rule'.
'norm' passed from Latin 'norma' into Old French as 'norme' and entered Middle English as 'norm'. The English pattern of using '-less' + '-ness' produced 'normlessness' to denote 'the condition of being without a norm'.
Initially 'norma' meant a physical 'carpenter's square' or measuring tool; over time 'norm' generalized to mean a 'standard' or 'rule', and 'normlessness' came to mean 'the absence of such standards'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or condition of lacking norms, rules, or standards; absence of customary or accepted behavior.
After the collapse of local institutions, a sense of normlessness spread through the community.
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Noun 2
in sociology: a social condition marked by the breakdown or absence of social norms and resulting instability or disorientation (often synonymous with 'anomie').
Durkheim argued that rapid social change can produce normlessness, contributing to increased social problems.
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Last updated: 2025/09/26 03:24